If you ever meet an entrepreneur who’s achieved something they’re proud of, chances are you’ll hear plenty about the hard work.
The early mornings.
The long days.
The setbacks.
The risks.
The pressure.
And rightly so, building a business isn’t easy.
But there’s something I don’t think gets talked about enough.
Entrepreneurship isn’t just demanding for the entrepreneur.
It’s demanding for the people who love them too.
I’ve spent a huge part of my life building businesses, leading teams and chasing goals. It’s something I genuinely love doing. I get excited by ideas. I enjoy solving problems. I enjoy creating opportunities for other people.
But over the years, I’ve realised that every hour I’ve invested in building a business has affected the people closest to me.
My family have celebrated the highs with me.
But they’ve also lived through the uncertainty.
The long days.
The weekends where my mind was still at work.
The moments where I was physically present but mentally somewhere else.
I don’t think entrepreneurs always realise they’re asking their families to come on the journey too.
When you’re building something, it’s very easy to become consumed by it.
You tell yourself you’re doing it for your family.
You’re creating security.
Opportunity.
A better future.
And often, that’s absolutely true.
But somewhere along the way, I think it’s important to stop and ask yourself a simple question.
“Am I giving them the future I’m working so hard to create… or am I missing the present while chasing it?”
That’s a question I’ve asked myself more than once.
Because success doesn’t mean much if the people you love only ever get the leftovers.
As I’ve got older, I’ve become much better at drawing lines.
Not perfect.
I’ll never pretend I’ve mastered work life balance because I don’t think anyone really has.
Some weeks business needs more from me.
Some weeks family does.
The trick isn’t achieving perfect balance every single day.
It’s recognising when one side needs you a little more than the other.
Sometimes that means leaving work on time because your family need you.
Sometimes it means your family understanding that business genuinely needs your attention.
The important thing is communication.
I’ve found that honesty solves far more than pretending everything’s fine.
One thing endurance training has taught me is that no big goal is achieved alone.
People see someone crossing an Ironman finish line.
They don’t see the family who adjusted weekends around training.
The early alarms.
The meals.
The encouragement.
The sacrifices made by everyone else.
Business is exactly the same.
People often congratulate the entrepreneur.
But behind almost every successful entrepreneur is a partner, children, parents or friends who’ve quietly supported the journey without asking for recognition.
I’ve become much more aware of that over the years.
And much more grateful.
One of the things I’m most conscious of now is being present.
Really present.
Because being in the room isn’t the same as being with your family.
We’ve all done it.
Phone in one hand.
Thinking about tomorrow’s meeting.
Half listening to the conversation.
I’ve caught myself doing it more times than I’d like to admit.
Nowadays, I try much harder to switch off properly.
When I’m with my family, I want them to feel they’ve got all of me.
Not just whatever energy I have left after work.
They deserve better than that.
The older I get, the more I realise that success isn’t measured by how many businesses you build.
Or how many people know your name.
It’s measured by the relationships that are still strong when all the noise disappears.
That’s what lasts.
Business changes.
Markets change.
Opportunities come and go.
But family remains.
I’ve always believed in working hard.
I probably always will.
I don’t think that will ever change.
But these days, I also believe just as strongly in making memories.
Going away together.
Having dinner around the table.
Watching my children grow into young adults.
Being there for the ordinary moments that become extraordinary memories years later.
Those moments matter just as much as the next business milestone.
Probably more.
If there’s one thing entrepreneurship has taught me, it’s that success is never achieved alone.
There are always people behind the scenes making sacrifices you don’t always notice at the time.
So if you’re building a business, chasing a goal or working towards something exciting, don’t forget to acknowledge the people walking that journey alongside you.
Thank them.
Make time for them.
Be present with them.
Because one day, when you look back on everything you’ve achieved, I don’t think you’ll remember every deal you closed or every target you hit.
You’ll remember who was standing beside you while you did it.
And for me, that’s what success really looks like.
To my wonderful wife Nicola & my amazing children, Lewis and Sienna – I genuinely don’t know what I’d do without you.
